Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 21, 2026

Coherence between Brain Cortical Function and Neurocognitive Performance during Changed Gravity Conditions
Published on: May 23, 2011
Cortical thickness, neurocognitive, and body composition effects of fasting during Ramadan
Muhammad Iqbal1, Abdullah Abu Jamea2, Miguel Alonso-Alonso3
1Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Background:
We aimed to study the anatomical, physiological, and cognitive function of healthy individuals practicing fasting during the month of Ramadan. Measurements were taken 1 week before and 2 weeks after Ramadan fasting.
Materials And Methods:
Twelve healthy male individuals (mean age ± standard error of the mean: 34.3 ± 2.9 years; body mass index: 26.26 ± 1.4 kg/m2) were assessed for various parameters before and after Ramadan fasting. All the tests were performed in the morning. Body composition characteristics were assessed by bioelectrical impedance analysis using a commercially available body composition analyzer. For neurocognitive analysis, participants underwent the stop signal task (SST), pattern recognition memory task (PRM), and spatial working memory strategy (SWM) from the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery. T1-weighted, 1 mm-thick magnetic resonance images were also acquired.
Results:
Anthropometric analysis showed a significant decrease in body weight, fat-free mass (FFM), trunk FFM, and trunk predicted muscle mass, while the other body composition parameters did not exhibit any changes. The stop signal reaction time (SSRT) latency (ms) (P > 0.05) and PRM did not show any significant difference before and after fasting. SWM task (P < 0.05) improved significantly after fasting. Cortical thickness data of the whole brain were not significantly different after fasting at any brain location. There was a significant correlation between the left amygdala and the SWM strategy (r 2 = 0.518) and between fat and brain segmentation volume (r 2 = 0.375).
Conclusion:
Our pilot data suggest that Ramadan fasting leads to weight loss and FFM reductions and improve cognitive function.
Related Concept Videos
Composite Bodies
Composite bodies have widespread applications in mechanical engineering, from automobiles to aircraft to rockets. For example, an automobile wheel comprises...
Composition of Body Fluids
Metabolic States of the Body: Fasting and Starvation
Classifying Matter by Composition
According to its composition, the matter can be classified into two broad categories — pure substances and mixtures.
A pure substance is a form of matter that has a constant composition throughout with uniform properties. For example, any sample of sucrose has the same composition and same physical properties, such as melting point, color, and sweetness, regardless of the source from which it is isolated.
A mixture is composed of two or...
Fast Fourier Transform
The computational efficiency of the FFT becomes...
Composition of Blood
Formed elements constitute the remaining 45% of the blood volume. These...

